


Late Night Treat

by ToMarsAndBeyond3



Series: Red! Verse [2]
Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Dirk was taken by the Rowdies during the blackwing breakout, Fluff warning, Gay Alert, Look who it is it's red, M/M, Rowdy! Verse, Trans! Dirk because I can, gender doesn't exist when you lie in a van with holistic vampires, mention of genderqueer Gripps, now he's a soft little punk, this fucking nerd, very gay ahead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 04:51:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15502677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToMarsAndBeyond3/pseuds/ToMarsAndBeyond3
Summary: Red and Vogel head out for some midnight ice cream when they bump into an angry little teenager named Todd Brotzman.





	Late Night Treat

“Red, come back!”

Vogel’s voice bounced along walls, along dumpsters and broken glass and discarded needles. The inconsiderately small child was jumping over all of these things, racing after is older brother as the elder boy slipped through the dark alleyway. The boy, Red, was on a mission; and his family wasn’t going to be a part of it.

Coming out on the other side, Red took in a breath of the cold city air, permeated with cigarette smoke, laughter, and exhaust fumes. Lights twinkle from the buildings high above them, and from a distance, perhaps it would look beautiful. But this wasn’t that, not when you were up close. This was intimate, personal, and gritty enough to rub you to the bone. It was something that wasn’t made a wonderful sight through looks, but instead through freedom. The whole street simply reeked of it.

Red reached under his shirt - black, a band shirt with a red Alice In Chains design - to adjust his binder. But he had stood still for too long, and his baby brother caught up to him.

“Red.” Vogel repeated, his heavy panting creating plumes of smoke in the air. “Where you going man!?”

“I want ice cream, Vogel, isn’t it obvious?” For anyone else, this sentence would have been accompanied by an air of annoyance. But as it was Vogel he was talking to, all there was was a quick glance.

“But the guys! We can’t leave the guys!”

“We’ll be fine, funny little bird, you. I have a hunch.”

“That makes it worse!”

“Hush.” Red put his hand on Vogel’s head. Everything would be alright, he was sure of it. Sure, his hunches often led to the izzare and the deadly, but this one was different. This was softer, somehow. Trustworthy.

Red smiled.

The street was full of folk of all different shapes and sizes, all mulling around on an early morning bender. None of them seemed to be able to understand why such young people - a nineteen year old and a thirteen year old - would be out at four in the morning. But Red doesn't give them the satisfaction of an explanation; he simply threw up his middle finger, then kept walking. 

Walking, that is, until he saw his reflection in the window of an empty shop. WHo is that, he wondered, checking his torso to make sure his chest was flat enough. A boy, was the answer. A wonderful, rowdy, holistic boy. But what was his name? Was it Svlad? Was it Icarus? Was it Red? Or was there another name out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows and waiting for the right time to jump out and surprise him? Red didn’t know these answers, but what he did know was that when he found them, they would be glorious. They would shine like the light of a thousand suns, and like a fool, Red would fly right into it.

He would always find his way to the sun.

So it was ironic, perhaps, when a boy with the graphic design of that very sun on his t-shirt ran into Red. He had just turned to continue on when the kid met with Red, and they were both sent sprawling to the ground. The boy’s shirt was spoiled as a red slurpee was pushed into him, the styrofoam cup splitting open to spill it’s contents on him. Vogel made a quiet oh shit sound, but otherwise didn’t move. Red looked up, planning to apologize to the boy-

And his breath stopped as his eyes were met with the most beautiful boy he’d ever seen.

“What the fuck, man!” The boy’s gaze found Red with an angry glare. He was Red’s age, had to be with a face like that. Red shook his head, trying his best to find his train of thought once more.

“My apologies, I truly didn’t mean to.” Think, god dammit! Red had ruined every chance he might of had with this kid with one false step. “Er, may I inquire as to why you’re out so late?”

Red watched the boy’s face clam up; he was very obviously uncomfortable. “My sister,” he said, starting to pull at his wet shirt. “She’s sick. And, those slurpee always make her feel better.”

“Ah, so you have a sibling. That’s mine, there, Say hello, Vogel.” Red gestured to the little Rowdy, who was watching them both with big, round bug eyes. The newcomer followed his gaze, an odd expression on his face that Red couldn’t make out.

“That’s a weird name. Your mom hate you?”

“We have no mother. Unless you count Gripps, but he’s too soft for that.” A brilliant smile painted Red’s face as he extended his hand, scraping it on the sidewalk. “I’m Red, nice to meet you!”

“You’re crazy, is what you are.” But the boy did meet Red in the middle, after only a few seconds, and they locked hands. “I’m Todd.”

“Well Todd, I am extremely sorry for ruining your day. I’m just on my way to get ice cream. Oh!” Red finally sat up, and reached down for the hem of his shirt. He grabbed the fabric and pulled it over his head, exposing the bright red binder underneath. One he was satisfied with the ball of fabric in his hand, he held it out to Todd. “Since I ruined yours.”

“Oh.” The shirt fell into Todd’s hands, and the look in his eyes was that of pleasant surprise. Red finally got to see what he’d been hoping for as a soft smile bloomed under those amazing eyes. “Thanks, man. What about you?”

“I’ll just go back, get a new one. Not a problem.” Stand up, Red needed to stand up. Once both of them were, he gave a heavy sigh. “Well Todd, I suppose we should head off now. I’m truly sorry bout the slurpee incident.”

“It’s no problem man. You live around here?”

“Sometimes.” Red’s gin was far too wide, far too toothy to be anything but unsteeling. To Todd’s credit though, he took it in stride. “But don’t worry. I feel I’ll see you again, Todd…”

“Brotzman!” Todd’s response came far too quickly, and Red watched a soft pink appear on his cheeks. “Uh, Brotzman. You?”

“I don’t have a last name.”

“Well you need one, right?”

“Perhaps. Maybe you could come up with one.”

“Maybe.” Todd’s eyes went down, trying to avoid Red’s as the fluster got even worse. “I could call you and tell you, when- if, I think of one.”

“Brilliant.”

Yes, Red thought, Todd was brilliant indeed.


End file.
